www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology Anyone know the answer?

My wife, who is 33 weeks pregnant with our first child, doesn't know how to participate in the Great Fast? Are the rules different for pregnant women (in other words is she not allowed to have meat or dairy products, etc)or are the same for all? If not the same, is there something else that she should be doing?

If anyone knows the answer, I would appreciate your help.

Thanks,

Erik

Dear Erik,

In your wife's case, of course, she is obligated to follow the Great Fast by submitting herself totally to what her doctor tells her to do throughout the course of her pregnancy.

All rules of the Great Fast are really suspended for those with child and the ill etc.

As a diabetic, my Great Fast is in following the diabetic diet and rules, which is penance enough, believe me . . .

Alex

Erik,

Your wife should eat what she needs to eat. Even the Desert Fathers said what boils down to "Don't be stupid."

Your wife's body is busy building a kid. At 33 weeks, the baby is fully formed, but needs to add weight & lung maturity. She needs to be consuming high quality protein, and a good diet.

Once the child is born, your wife also needs to maintain good nutrition for the benefit of her recovery (yeah, I know grandma lived on beets & turnips, gave birth while riding horseback & was back working in the field the next day, but that doesn't make it a Good Idea) and to make good milk for the young'un. A lactating woman will use an extra 500 calories per day.

It is not impossible to get all the protein you need on the strict fast, but to manage the diet in such a way as to meet the needs of a pregnant woman is difficult if you are not accustomed to it, and takes more prep time than most of us have. To say nothing of the fact that unless your wife is very fortunate, she has had and may still have her share of the gastrointestinal "fun" associated with being pregnant, and adding major quantities of beans to the diet would not improve her comfort.

If you feel the need, go ask your pastor to dispense her. It should be readily given. The three legs of a fast are dietary fasting, prayer, & works of mercy. You can lean on the other two legs a bit more this time, and I would even suggest that there are plenty of opportunities to conquer self and be merciful to one's spouse in the final, not always terribly comfortable days of pregnancy, and in the glorious confusion of the early days of parenthood.

Best wishes to both of you, and for your little one.

Sharon

Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor, sinner & mom to 3 including Wulf, the new one
sharon@cmhc.com

Dear Mother Sharon,

Yes, "Don't be stupid."

Thank you for that same incisive and definitive advice that you gave me when I asked you about my diabetic situation!

You always know what to say and how to provide corrective guidance to those in need of it!

Alex

Alex:

As a Hypoglycemic who has a 100% chance of becomign diabetic, I empathize with your lenten penance.

Could someone please tell me how much of the fast I should do being hypoglycemic and all?

Joe Zollars

Dear Joe,

Please see Mother Sharon's word of advice above .

In addition to that timeless classic of hers, we should remember that the overall physical purpose of fasting, apart from its spiritual benefits, is to weaken the body and help curb our sinful appetites.

When there are those, like us Brothers in the Faith, who are already undergoing physical penance in terms of our respective personal struggles, the Fathers always regarded this to be the realization of the fasting discipline in and of itself.

But always refer to Mother Sharon!

Alex

The Lenten Rule is the same as the physician's oath: "Do no harm."

Ask your doctor about what your diet should be; and then follow it. (Usually medically oriented diets result in such a stressful change, that that'll be more than penance enough.)

Blessings!

Just a note:

Dr. John & Alex,

With much affection to you both, & due respect to you both, I gotta say:

Doctors as a rule are NOT trained in nutrition - get a referral to a dietitian - your local diabetes association should have resources.

Sad to say also that it is the rare doc who utilizes **evidence based** childbirth practices. I cannot recommend highly enough Henci Goer's "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth," likely available from your library. The woman who blindly places all trust in her physician for childbirth is likely to undergo practices and procedures which do NOT help either her or her baby, and which can cause harm. Unquestioning obedience is NOT a virtue here.

Hokay?

Sharon

Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor, sinner & health educator
sharon@cmhc.com

Dear Mother Sharon,

You are right. I forgot your "Don't be stupid" yet again!

I am going to a naturopathic physician and a nutritionist.

Everything I learned, I learned from my dog who has a naturopathic physician and his own chiropractor.

He fell down and hurt his carpus in his paw.

Only his chiropractor could "click" the bone back in place.

One of the reasons "Mookie" loves me very much, I suppose.

Alex

Alex,

Our late and much lamented German Shepherd, Quark, taught us, and our eldest daughter much. Miriam napped on her, teethed on her ears, and learned to walk hanging on to her ample shoulders. She was a loving and giving mutt, so much so that we had cause to refer to our then toddling daughter as "the kid with the Hi Pro glow....


Sharon

Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com

Well as a wife of a diabetic and mother of hypoglyseminc, I feel I have to make sure that they get what they need.

Our deacon would get upset because I wouldn't make the kids fast from midnight until they received Eucharist. I watched our daughter, and knew that she would become very light headed and nausious if she didn't eat every couple of hours. I wasn't going to force a fast on her, I don't think God would be pleased. I watched his kids fight with each other and be very irritable, I just don't believe that was what Jesus wanted for them either. I had a hard time believing they could be sustained on a glass of powdered milk, diluted half strength.

Now that she is older, she has something light, and has something in her purse in case she needs it. My husband will obstain from lunch if service is in the evening, but like Alex he has got to keep his system working right and his body knows what it needs, and he can't go from bedtime till 1pm the next day without eating.

Alex, does your chriopractor use CRA?
You are right Sharon knows her nutrition!

Rose

Rose,

God bless you & yours. Hopefully the good Lord will also bless and ENLIGHTEN your good deacon - even in "The Law" the fast does NOT hold for those physically unable to do it without harm.

If'n I remember my Scripture, Jesus had a few things to say about folks who blindly believed in conformity to an external standard without any concern for human needs or conversion of heart.

Oh well, gotta go put on a veil - covers up all my sinfulness.


Cheers,

Sharon

Sharon Mech, SFO
Cantor & sinner
sharon@cmhc.com